Tubular crossbar connection in automobile frames



Patented Aug.. 4,' 1925.

)UNITED sTA TES PATENT orifice.

FRANK n. Wannen MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, Assrenon'ro n o. SMITH omus'ona-L` Tron, or MILWAUKEE, W1scoN-s1N,.A CORPORATION 'or NEW YORK TuBULAR onossan 'connEcTIon In AUTOMGEILE ERAHES.

.i Appntam mea september?, 1923. -seriai 1jr. sei-,390.

To all' william it may concern; Be it known that I, FRANK citizen of the United States, and a of the-'city of' Milwaukee, in the count# of 5 Milwaukee'A and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new, and useful Improve lments in Tubular vCrossbar Connectionsin Automobile Frames; and I do dec 'following to be-a clear', exact, and complete description thereof, such as will others .skilled in theart to which the `invention pertains tomake and yuse-the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing for an'ill'ustration vof a construction in which my invention has been embodied. In the. construction longitudinally .extending side bars,

incorporated and united in a manner to con'- stitutea permanentstructure. A frame .so .constructed will therefore present a morel effective resistance Y,to L.the .-.vveaving. strains v to .which the vehicle f-{which it forns'.japart* is subjected in moving over uneven. roadgpifntsf of Acbnnec surfaces.

My-invent-iondrelates particularly to Ithe means employed vfor V4ellecting the Vattachment ofY the cross bars to the side bars the erection or construction of the frame manner that the torsional` stresses imposed upon the tubular crossbars are resisted 'at the points of attachment of the cr to the side bars, and so that the str better distributed throughout the Such points of attachment havehe constituted features of weakness in struction of the iframe, which it is the purpose of the present invention to overcome'.

. This desirable result is achieved b of devices the construction and arrangement of which will now be specifically described, and the novelty of which will be pointed out in the appended claims. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view7 of at one end through the medium o l H. WARD,/ a

-of automobile and other vehicle frames, the use of tubular cross 1 bars attached at their opposite 'end utes greatly .to an increased rigidity of the fkame'" in which the two types of 4bars are y ik the cross bar may attached bar. resident vfecting the attachment referred la/re-v the enable s to the contribcarried by the frame. l

@the side Fig. 3 is' a view on a horizontal section through one end of the tubularcross bar, taken on the line 3&3, Fig. 2,' and -showin details of construction of the means for efg.

Referring. tothe drawing, Figure 1 illustrates the' forward,` end of an automobile frame, in which the numerals 10 and 11 indicate the usual channel side bars, connected by cross bars 12 so as to form a permanent structure.. Usually the cross barsare formed `as channel members, but frames so constructed do not possess the desired degree of -rigidity, and consequently such frames 'are' subject to a weaving or racking motion which may act' destructively upon the par tiurularjcross barsA with the side bars.

,in such stralns 1s effected..

oss bars ains are `frame. retofore the conextending laterally from and sides of the tubular cross bar tegrally therewith.

y means On account o In myirsent invention, I havegreatly l improved the manner of connecting the ends' of the tubular cross bars to the side bars, sothat a wider 'distribution of the concentrated In 'achieving this lresult I make Aa diametral incision- 13, across the-oppos`ite ends of thetubular cross bar,` as indicated in dotted` lines in Fig. 3. lI then flatten out in opposite directions the split .ends of the4 cross bar, so asfto constitute wingsl 14 and 15 at opposite 12, and inthe comparative thinness of the` metal of which thetubular cross bar` is formed, the wings 14 and 15 will exert a considerable shearing strain upon the rivets the forf which in contact 'with .the wings 14 which are employed to connect .the wings 14 and 15 to the web of the side bar. order to overcome the objection I form upon one face of a plate 16 an upstanding tubular boss 17, of a .diameter equal to the'inside diameter of the cross bar, and insert such boss at each end of the bar, with the plate resting and .15 as rivets passing through registering holes in thev wings 14' and 15, the plate 16 and the web of the 'channel cross bar. Thus a permanent structure is produced. The lower edge of the plate 16 may be provided with a laterally extending flange 20, which is adapted to rest upon the lower flange of the side bar and be ,riveted thereto.

It will thus be seen that the connection between the end of the tubular cross bar and the side bar is greatly strengthened, and

that the torsional resistance of the tubularl cross bars is transmitted directly to the side bars, so that the frame will maintain a greater degree of rigidity, and be less responsive to variations when the vehicle encounters unfavorable road conditions. By thus preventing the weaving or racking of Vthe frame at such times, the parts supported upon the frame are preserved from damage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the ,United States, is:

1. In an automobile'frame, side bars and tubular cross bars, the cross bars being provided at each end with integral, laterally extending wings, and plates bearing at one side against the side bar and against the said wings at the other, the lates each having a tubular boss entered 1nto the end of the cross bar and secured therein, and means for attaching the cross bar and the plates to the side bars.

2. In an automobile frame, channel side bars and tubular cros-s bars, the cross bars having at each end laterally extending integral wings which rest in the channels of the side bars, and plates interposed between the webs of the side bars and the said wings and each provided with a boss entered into the end of the cross bar and secured therein, and means for attaching the plates and wings to the side bars.

3. In an automobile frame, channel side bars having a web and flanges extending laterally therefrom, tubular'cross bars attached at each end to the'side bars, the said cross bars being provided with integral wings extended in parallelism with the webs of the side bars, a plate interposed between the wings and web at each end of the cross bar and having a tubular 'boss entered into the end of the cross bar and secured thereto, each said plate having a liange adapted to rest against allange of the side bar, and means for securing the wings and plates to the side bar.

4. In an automobile frame, a tubular cross bar having at each end integral, laterally extending wings, and plates bearing against the said wings, each plate having a tubular boss entered into the end of the cross bar and secured therein to constitute a permanent structure.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 4th day of September, 1923.

FRANK H. WARD. lVitnesses:

W. F. VVOOLARD, EMMA HAUG. 

